About | Family Light

The Overview

Here at Family Light, we aim to offer a variety of flexible, holistic family services that meets each family member where they are at. Let's face it, when one member of a household or family unit is struggling, it affects the whole family, regardless of what that struggle might be. Our passion and motivation is prevention and keeping the family together. We also aim to inspire future leaders in family services and the community in general!

We offer three types of standard services which include family mentorship, parenting and self-improvement courses, and support groups. These services are eligible for scholarship and grant coverage, being offered free of charge to those who qualify.

We also offer two non-standard services including Supported Parenting Time, and the Way of the Warrior Kid Club. Non-standard services are not eligible for scholarships or grant coverage at this time and must be paid for out of pocket regardless of income status or qualification. While these services do not qualify for scholarship or grant coverage, we do our best to keep them as low in cost as possible.

Family Light services differ from other service organizations because we focus on the family holistically and aim to be a common advocate and center point for both families and service organizations, completing a warm handoff to other care as needed. The goal is not to replace other services, but be a glue that helps the family process and get the most out of all the help they are receiving.

Mission Statement

Family Light aims to wholistically serve families through a variety of means and services aiming toward family reciprocity and togetherness in regard to family health as a whole making an impact in reducing and preventing out of home placement, child abuse, chemical dependency and substance abuse, domestic violence, neglect, ignored mental health crisis leading to suicide, and generational trauma effect.

In today's culture, the ways of the world have left families torn, hurting, and under supported. By 2023, the United States divorce rates for first time marriages resulted in approximately 35-50%, while second time marriages faced an even higher likelihood of divorce, ranging from 60-70% or more. The number of registered Foster Youth in Minnesota alone rose astronomically to 9,176 by 2023. Between 960,000 and 3,000,000 cases of domestic violence are reported each year in the U.S. and nearly 80% of these cases involve substance abuse. Suicide deaths further increased in 2022, rising from 48,183 deaths in 2021 to an estimated 49,449 deaths in 2022, an increase of approximately 2.6%. The majority of Suicidal deaths are attributed to mental health and situational struggles.

According to a study done by Utah State University, the major risk factors for families are poverty, unemployment, early parenthood, substance abuse, inadequate housing, inadequate role modeling and high levels of family stress. A high majority of families have reported a barrier between seeking services for their needs by not feeling comfortable or confident in approaching the services available.

It has become apparent that there is a very prevalent need in the area for stronger, more holistic family support that offers prevention-based services at the core of the family structure. Even foster youth that had family units who were deemed unsafe to return to and had been removed from the home when under the age of 18 almost always returned, in some capacity, after their 18th birthday. If we want to provide real lasting success for the children we serve, we need to serve the whole family.

We want our efforts to help the youth be sustainable. We don’t want our help to be a temporary fix or just get them by. We want our efforts to bear fruit that leaves good seeds. Seeds that grow deeply rooted, strong family trees. Trees rooted in Christ, our firm foundation. And that takes creating an environment that holistically serves the family as a whole. Services that offer help meeting the family where they are at while working together in a network of other caring service entities to best meet all the needs and special circumstances that can come along with the complexities of being human.

With stronger family support rooted in Christ offering more options for preventative service such as Parenting Courses, Family Support Groups, Supportive Parenting Mentorship, Mental Health Coaching and more, we can help reduce the above numbers and help advocate for healthy family structures once again. Also, by building an interconnected network locally where we serve, we will break down the barriers between needs and services by personally introducing families to service providers we know and trust, building lasting connections for care.